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Santo Domingo.- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently spoke with President Luis Abinader about the situation in Haiti, emphasizing support for human rights, particularly in relation to the deportations of Haitians.
Despite calls from the United Nations for a halt to deportations, the Dominican government has affirmed its commitment to continue deporting Haitians and will not permit the establishment of refugee camps within its borders.
During the conversation, Blinken also discussed the multinational security support force, led by Kenyan police, which aims to restore peace and end the reign of terror imposed by powerful armed gangs in Port-au-Prince and other areas.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that Blinken’s call reinforced the “lasting partnership between the United States and the Dominican Republic” and their “shared commitment” to promoting democratic governance, regional security, anti-corruption efforts, and inclusive growth and prosperity.
Blinken also took the opportunity to congratulate President Abinader on his re-election.
The call comes amidst heightened concerns over gang violence in Haiti, particularly following the deaths of two American missionaries, Natalie and Davy Lloyd, who were the daughter and son-in-law of Missouri State Representative Ben Baker.
In response to these tragic events, the U.S. has emphasized the urgent need for a security solution in Haiti. President Joe Biden has called for the rapid deployment of the multinational support mission to address the escalating violence.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those murdered. The security situation in Haiti cannot wait,” stated a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC).
The killings of the missionaries, which took place at an orphanage in Lison 49, north of Port-au-Prince, highlight the dire situation in areas controlled by gangs for months. The multinational security support mission, led by Kenya, aims to curb this violence and is expected to arrive soon.
President Biden recently met with Kenyan President William Ruto at the White House, elevating Kenya’s status to a ‘major non-NATO ally’ for its leadership in the mission to be deployed in Haiti. The NSC spokesperson emphasized that Biden reiterated Washington’s commitment to supporting the mission, which seeks to bolster the capabilities of the Haitian police, restore the rule of law, and pave the way for democratic governance.
Wondering if at this meeting President Abinader pressed Secretary Blinken of news when the US is going to appoint a new ambassador to the RD? The RD has been ignored long enough over its needs of having a US ambassador on its soil. A US ambassador to the RD will be the best on site international liaison over Haitian issues affecting the RD.
They did finnaly apoint one – Dennis Hankins , in late March of this year. Now that the election rhetoric is finished, Pres Ambinader can show a bit more empathy towards Haiti. Considering it is the same island, they should be joining Kenya , Jamaica, Bahamas and others by sending troops to fight the gangs.
Dennis Hankins is the US Ambassador to Haiti. The US ambassadorship to the RD remains vacant. Robin Bernstein the last recent US Ambassador to the RD having left the post on January 20, 2021.
We can all guarantee that is NOT going to happen. The DR government has already taken the firm stance of not getting involved in the Haiti intervention, we will leave that up to Kenya and the Caricom nations. Although we share the same island, we ought to distance ourselves from the Haitian dilemma as much as possible.